Find and fix a problem
Start with the part that is not working, then follow the relevant checks.
Fixes for each guide
Every guide ends with what to do if it doesn’t work. Start with the guide for what you were doing.
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Put it on a screen
Design a dashboard
Everyday content
Smart home
Business and custom data
Library and activities
Use it from your phone
Denframe will not install or open
Check the build’s availability, minimum operating system, and release status on Downloads. Follow the platform’s installation guidance for security warnings and startup checks:
A screen is missing or cannot load the dashboard
- Confirm the Denframe host is running and its management interface opens locally.
- Put the host and screen on the same trusted network. Guest Wi-Fi or client isolation can prevent discovery.
- On a desktop host, check that LAN receiver access is enabled. Follow your installation guide before changing network settings.
- Use the casting troubleshooting checks for the chosen receiver type, or the Android pairing instructions for a panel.
A TV supporting DIAL alone does not guarantee dashboard playback. Check connection compatibility first.
Denframe entities are missing from Home Assistant or the car
Confirm the Denframe build includes export, then check the enabled setup, broker permissions and Home Assistant MQTT discovery. A broker test proves only transport on its probe topic. If entities appear in Home Assistant, choose supported favorites in the Companion app on the correct device. Generic CarPlay sensors are not promised. The export troubleshooting guide covers unavailable state, pending cleanup and build availability.
A value is missing, delayed, or unavailable
- Open the source in Denframe. Check whether it is waiting for data, paused, unauthorized, or reporting a mapping error.
- Verify the selected output and exact field path or entity. A successful request does not guarantee that the expected field exists.
- Check the dashboard’s audience and the output’s visibility. Private values need an audience that permits them.
- Check the expected update interval and producer delivery history or connection test. Missing values should not be replaced with invented zeroes.
Each connection guide includes provider-specific checks. Jump to Home Assistant, MQTT, Power Automate, direct Power BI, HTTP, webhooks, or MCP.
Apple Home or HomeKit doesn’t work
Apple Home in Denframe is experimental and untested with Apple devices. The direct HomeKit options are off in this release.
“Couldn’t confirm it happened”
The command may or may not have acted. Check the device. Denframe won’t send it again.
The Apple Home guide covers the route through Home Assistant.
Frequently asked questions
What will Denframe cost?
Denframe is free and full-featured through the pilot and the beta that follows it. Planned 1.0: a one-time household licence, price to be announced. Early households — everyone who joins during the pilot or the beta — get 40% off the 1.0 household licence. A pilot or beta copy has no expiry and keeps working. Nothing in the pilot or the beta is split out later into a subscription or a paid add-on. One licence covers the host computer and every screen in the household.
Which screens work today?
Chromecast, Google TV and Nest Hub by Google Cast, TV and tablet browsers by pairing, and dedicated Android panels. Each needs the host on the same home network. Some are still being tested on real hardware; the compatibility page gives each one's status.
Does Denframe need the internet?
Denframe runs on your computer and your home network; there is no Denframe account or cloud service to sign in to. The bundled artwork and the clock work offline on a TV browser or Android panel. Google Cast screens need the internet to load their receiver, and weather, online calendars, headlines, stock quotes and exchange rates, travel times and the online library of looks and packs are fetched from the internet, as is the desktop app's list of releases once a day if you turn on its update notice.
Must the host computer stay on?
Yes. Screens show what the host serves; when the computer sleeps or restarts, they wait until it is back. Desktop updates are manual: back up, then install the new build.
Can anyone on our Wi-Fi see our data?
Not by default. Denframe Desktop listens only on its own computer until you turn on LAN access. Screens and phones then pair with a code you approve in Denframe and receive restricted grants that expire. Managing Denframe from another device needs HTTPS and a revocable 12-hour session from the household password, unless the owner chose no password at setup. The Home Assistant app is managed through Home Assistant's own sign-in.
Are the installers signed?
Not all of them yet. The Mac installer is signed, and notarized by Apple on a Mac, so your operating system names the publisher. The Windows installer is still the unsigned pilot: compare its SHA-256 checksum with the one on the downloads page before opening it. A signed Windows beta is on the way; until then the Windows download is the unsigned pilot.
What happens to our data if we stop using Denframe?
It stays on your computer; nothing is stored on a Denframe server. Uninstalling Denframe Desktop keeps the household data folder; delete that folder to remove it. The installation guides give its location. Disconnecting a calendar erases the credentials Denframe kept; also remove Denframe from your Google or Microsoft account's connected apps to revoke its access.
Do guests get real Wi-Fi access?
A Wi-Fi QR only appears after a paired guest requests it, hides again after 60 seconds, and can still be photographed by someone nearby — treat it like a paper note on the fridge.
What happens if I choose no password?
You confirm that choice explicitly during first-run setup. Denframe still only accepts that claim from the actual loopback machine or an authenticated Home Assistant administrator, so a remote caller can't take ownership either way.
What leaves the device?
Nothing, by default. Core configuration, household data, and diagnostics stay local. An optional connector like Google Calendar only sends what its own read-only OAuth scope allows.
Does Denframe control my Samsung TV?
A compatible TV browser can show a paired Denframe dashboard. Experimental network TV support also plays supported files through UPnP on the tested Frame; DIAL alone does not stream dashboards or enable automatic Denframe launch. A separate Home Assistant bridge only observes source/app state. Neither integration controls Art Mode. See the casting guide for build availability and tested limits.
Why does casting sometimes use DashCast?
Without a configured Denframe Custom Web Receiver, Denframe uses the third-party DashCast compatibility receiver. Availability and device compatibility can vary. Denframe's dedicated receiver adds acknowledged live sessions and their controls; see the casting guide for setup.
How do backups work?
A verified offline command creates a portable backup; restoring requires the exact matching build, revokes copied grants, and keeps the old data as a rollback directory.
Still stuck?
Contact support with your build, the failing step, the exact error, and redacted diagnostic details; Report a problem shows how to send them.